Foundations of Government
Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States had a ___________________________ branch, but no___________________________ or ___________________________ branches.
Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States had a Legislative branch, but no Executive or Judicial branches.
Describe life under an authoritarian government.
- Centralized government power
- Political repression
- Little political freedom for citizens
What is the main duty of the Legislative Branch?
What is the main duty of the Executive Branch?
Enforce laws
What are concurrent powers?
Powers shared by both the federal and state government
Define popular sovereignty. Then, provide an example.
Popular sovereignty: the government is created & subject to the will of the people
Example: voting
What is the difference between a representative democracy and direct democracy?
Representative (indirect): citizens vote on representatives who vote on issues
Direct: citizens directly vote on issues
Congress has the power to ratify the Constitution. What must Congress do to propose a new amendment?
Propose the amendment with a 2/3 majority vote in both chambers of Congress
(1) Defending the nation
(2) Deciding when it is necessary to use military force
(3) Managing the armed forces
Provide an example of an Executive Order passed by a president.
Answers may vary.
Identify an example of one branch checking another branch. Give one example for EACH branch.
The Legislative can: impeach the president, impeach judges, confirms judicial appointments
The Judicial can: declare laws unconstitutional, declare presidential acts unconstitutional
This principle of government restricts what the government can and cannot do. For example, the Bill of Rights.
Limited Government
Congress is able to stretcchhhhh its powers by using the _____________________ and ___________________ Clause (which is also known as the _____________________ Clause)
Congress is able to stretcchhhhh its powers by using the Necessary and Proper Clause (which is also known as the Elastic Clause)
Who has the power to impeach the President? Who has the power to try the impeachment?
House: impeach
Senate: trial
One person in your group must volunteer to filibuster for as long as they can.
Topic: The Bill to Law Process
Why does the US have a bicameral Congress? Give at least 2 reasons.
- Checks & balances
- Reduces workload for Congress
- Able to be closer to the people (different term lengths)
- Check on majority tyranny
- etc
Congress approved of President Reagan's appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court. What principle of government is this an example of?
Checks & Balances
What is the difference between a primary and general election?
Primary: candidates are selected to represent their political party when running for office
General: elects the final candidate among a smaller pool
Who are the top three people in line of presidential succession?
1. Vice President
2. Speaker of the House
3. Senate President Pro Tempore
What is the PURPOSE of gerrymandering?
Manipulating the boundaries of a district to favor one's party
What is the PURPOSE of the Bill of Rights?
To describe the rights and powers of the citizens
Why were the principles of government included in the Constitution?
The framers wanted a government that prevented the TYRANNY that they experienced under the rule of the British monarchy.
What are the expressed, implied, and inherent powers? Provide one example for each power, and explain what Congress can do with this power.
Answers may vary
Answers may vary
What TYPE of government allows citizens to have the greatest amount of influence? (looking for one specific example)
Direct Democracy